A Global Warning Crisis

I hope you read that right. I’ll say it again: The church today in America have a global warning crisis.

Warning (with an “n”) and not warming (with an “m”).

As Christians we are to share the Gospel. Sinners need to be warn about the eternal consequences of their sins (hell). If people get saved the church has the responsibility of discipling believers. This is the Great Commission. It is the mandate from Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19-20:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When asked if they had previously “heard of the Great Commission,” half of U.S. churchgoers (51%) say they do not know this term. It would be reassuring to assume that the other half who know the term are also actually familiar with the passage known by this name, but that proportion is low (17%). Meanwhile, “the Great Commission” does ring a bell for one in four (25%), though they can’t remember what it is. Six percent of churchgoers are simply not sure whether they have heard this term “the Great Commission” before.

The article goes on to describe more of their findings:

Barna also presented churchgoers with five different passages from scripture and asked them to identify which one is known as the Great Commission. A little more than one-third of churchgoers (37%) correctly identifies the Bible passage—far more than those who recognize the Great Commission in name alone. Nearly all of the churchgoers who indicate they have previously heard of the Great Commission (94%) also select the passage in Matthew 28. The remainder of churchgoers either does not know which of these verses is the Great Commission (33%) or offers an incorrect answer (31%).

It seems churches today in America need to be involved with the Great Commission. I have a hard time imagining a church that focuses on it will not model and teach this.

But before we can even be “discipling” one must be a disciple in the first place. And one become a disciple through believing in the Gospel. And the Gospel is the good news of God saving sinners through Jesus Christ dying on the Cross for the sins of those who trust in Him as Lord and Savior.

Pray for our church. Pray for my church that God will make us even more a Great Commission church (I’ve been praying for God to save sinners, for God to bring people who want to grow in being a student of Jesus and His word, and also for the work of God stateside and overseas). I’m praying for those of you who want me to pray for your church as well; leave us a comment.

Be of good cheer. I sense in my spirit, by the Holy Spirit, that the body of Christ is rising up from its slumber. We (the Body as a whole) have been asleep at the wheel but we have not yet seen the total fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that “In the last days I will pour our My Spirit…”

I know by experience the futility of trying to disciple others when you are not a disciple yourself. When I was 14 years old I got baptized and joined a church because I thought that was the way to become a Christian. I helped persuade a friend of mine to take the same step and he became another unsaved church member. I am thankful that God did show me the real way of salvation and I eventually became a genuine disciple.

Praise God He saved you; can’t imagine that load you were carrying before you got saved! That sounds like a good autobiographical post to write evangelistically sometime unless you’ve written one before?

Brother,
I agree of the urgency to heed the Great Commission and that it is desperately needed in this country. However, I disagree with your statement that we need to tell them they are going to hell (which is true) if they dont change their way. When it comes to approaching the lost there is zero examples of Christ telling them to stop sinning in order to be saved. The commission is to spread the Good News. John 3:16 is important but unfortunately we tend to neglect John 3:17 which is equally important. John 3:17 Jesus says ” I didnt come to condemn the world but save it.” Love (the Good News) motivates more than fear. Let us be like Christ who says to the adulteress (paraphrased) “where are your accusers? I do not condemn now go sin no more” its important to see in what order He speaks. First He shows love then gives command.
Surpassing Peace
Scott

Thanks, brother. Yes, our churches are to be Great Commission churches and individual believers are to be Great Commission Christians. Sad that many/most who claim to be evangelicals don’t know what the Great Commission is. Have a blessed Lord’s day, too!

I hear you, and I agree. I can only imagine what it was like for the disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus? Am I willing to leave everything, to follow Him? Thank you for the reminder of the Great Commission!

I will know in the next three weeks or four.I am eager to see what the Lord will do . I am totally surrendered to His will .
I have good news to share. Next Lord’s Day we are having the Lords Supper in the morning:😀. Thank you for praying brother Jim

Reblogged this on Truth in Palmyra and commented:
What a shame that so many churches are involved in so many “programs,” thinking that is the mission of the New Testament churches. Many have forgotten that the Great Commission is really their reason for existence, and everything else just supports THAT. Good word here from brother Jim.

Brother S. A. B.
The 4 gospels do not contain the whole council of God. The 4 gospels are no more or less God breathed than the rest of the bible. The call to repentance is demanded either implicitly or explicitly as a necessity for salvation. Exactly why did Jesus tell the woman to, sin no more, if there was no need of repentance? The epistles clearly teach that the elders are commanded to expose and confront deeds of darkness to restore through repentance
The greatest person born of a woman preached nothing but repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Lk. 3:8 bear fruit that befits repentance.
God hates sin. God demanded continual repentance and blood sacrifices for forgiveness from sin.